Tom Mielke’s effort to launch a recall against three fellow Clark County councilors has reached the point of absurdity. We would say it has reached the point of comedy — except it is needlessly costing taxpayers money, so for now, we’ll stick with absurdity.
Mielke, who is not seeking re-election to the council, has filed an appeal to revive a petition to recall council Chair Marc Boldt, and councilors Jeanne Stewart and Julie Olson. The petition was dismissed July 29, when visiting Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Stephen Warning determined that it did not meet the legal or factual requirements necessary to be placed before voters. Mielke’s appeal will be heard by the state Supreme Court, which must rule within 30 days of the Aug. 22 filing. Kristin Asai, an attorney who has represented the three council members who are the target of the petition, said: “From our perspective, the trial court’s decision was well-reasoned and based on the law, but Councilor Mielke has the right to appeal.”
Indeed. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should, and Mielke’s continued obstinacy simply adds to what has been a sad chapter in the history of Clark County governance. And it adds to the list of invoices that Mielke and fellow councilor David Madore have foisted upon taxpayers in a series of poorly conceived and poorly executed maneuvers. For councilors who profess adherence to budget-conscious decision-making, the two routinely have violated the precepts of that philosophy in desperate attempts to cling to their last vestiges of power on the council.
In large part because of the fashion in which Madore and Mielke ruled the three-person council, voters approved a county charter in 2014 to remake local government. Since that charter was fully implemented with the addition of two councilors at the start of this year, relegating Madore and Mielke to a minority, the duo has been unable to grasp some basic tenets of governance: compromise, reconciliation and deal-making.